There are many situations in which it is desirable to have heat at a cold indoor location, or an outdoor location, for the purpose of facilitating human activities, or for keeping equipment warm so that it will function properly. For example, there are many situations when construction is being practiced, heavy equipment is being stored or repaired, aircraft is exposed to a cold environment while on the ground, or for outdoor sporting events in cold weather, when a heat source is desirable.
Prior art constructions provide the general teaching of utilizing mobile heat sources for facilitating outdoor endeavors. However, many of such prior art devices require a continuous connection up to a source of electricity for a major or the only source of power, which is not always convenient; or burn fossil fuels to provide forced air heat. Also, it is often difficult to properly orient prior art outdoor heaters or the like to take maximum advantage of the utility thereof.
According to the present invention, a portable space heating assembly is provided which is mobile, yet provides radiant heat from the burning fossil fuels. The fossil fuel source can be mounted directly on the carriage with which the heater is associated. The assembly according to the present invention is extremely versatile, it being possible to locate it in a wide variety of different orientations in order to take maximum advantage of the utility thereof.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a portable space heating assembly is provided which comprises a carriage mounted on wheels, an infrared, fossil fuel powered space heater having a radiant face, and a means for mounting the heater on a carriage for rotation about an axis. The mounting of the heater for rotation can be accomplished by a pair of upright supports engaging hollow shaft stubs extending from the ends of the space heater, and the mounting is such that the orientation of the radiating face with respect to the carriage may be changed, yet the heater may be maintained in the position to which it has been rotated. A conduit connects the heater to a source of fossil fuel so that there is no interference with the rotation of the heater about its axis of rotation--e.g. by feeding in a gas (e.g. propane) conduit through one of the hollow shaft stubs mounting the unit for rotation. Propane tanks, or the like, may be mounted directly on the carriage to provide the source of fossil fuel.
Infrared shielding may be provided for shielding the propane tanks from heat from the heater, and shielding of gas lines utilizing components of the carriage may also be provided. The carriage preferably has a primarily open support surface so that the radiating face of the heater may be pointed downwardly to radiate heat through the open support surface to heat the space below the support. A tow hitch is provided on the front of the carriage so that it may be readily pulled by a motor vehicle. The heater is clamped in any position to which it has been rotated, and if desired a stop can be provided to prevent the carriage from executing more than one revolution (so that the fuel conduit does not become twisted).
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of space heating a cold area utilizing an infrared fossil fuel powered space heater mounted on a mobile carriage is provided. The method comprises the steps of: (a) transporting the mobile carriage to a cold area by towing it to the cold area with a motor vehicle; (b) initiating supply and combustion of fossil fuel to the space heater at the cold area so that heat radiates from the radiating face thereof; and (c) rotating the heater about its axis to position the radiating face in a desired orientation in the cold area to heat the cold area as desired.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide for the effective radiant space heating of a cold environment to facilitate human activities or the storage of equipment. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.